tzijlstra Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Let's see if this makes it onto the BBC news tonight The EU has announced measures to make it far more difficult for large multinationals to avoid taxes on a national level. As some of you may know a lot of tax-evasion in the EU occurs because companies divert profits to 'tax-havens' - Luxembourg, the Ireland/Netherlands sandwich, the Channel islands and so on. In particular the concept of holding/subsidiary relations will be tackled. So Amazon, despite doing roaring trade here, can no longer claim that an office in Luxembourg is in fact the holding company and therefore taxes should be paid there. This is one of those issues that really only is going to be resolved on a European level so it is great that an agreement on this has been reached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrystottle Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Good and long overdue - if it works. Also if this is not (pardon my cynicism) a cover for the EU taking more powers unto itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzijlstra Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 Good and long overdue - if it works. Also if this is not (pardon my cynicism) a cover for the EU taking more powers unto itself. It is indeed long overdue, this is also one of those instances where the EU is ideally placed to tackle this issue, no power gain in that respect, although it will of course require the member states to participate for it to work. Just waiting for Georgie to claim this as a victory for the UK... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrystottle Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Places like Luxembourg (and Ireland?) won't be too happy I suppose. This will cost them. Could they block reform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosxuk Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I don't think he will, because while it has great headlines in forcing the big international companies to pay more tax in the UK, it also means we loose out on a lot of tax which would be paid in this country by companies who trade in the rest of the EU. I know of several small businesses who are now not going to sell to the EU because of the new rules requiring them to register and pay VAT in each EU nation they sell to. It actually makes it harder to trade with the EU than outside the EU, so I wonder how long before these new ideas gets scrapped for something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricgem2002 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 It is indeed long overdue, this is also one of those instances where the EU is ideally placed to tackle this issue, no power gain in that respect, although it will of course require the member states to participate for it to work. Just waiting for Georgie to claim this as a victory for the UK... so the eu has proposed an idea that needs all member states to participate for it to work (which they wont) so its a non starter then btw I agree with you that Georgie will claim it as a uk victory :hihi: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geared Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 It's about time the EU did something about it, it's just a frigging mess. There's been several claims that the big multi-nationals have struck favourable deals with Tax haven countries to even further limit their costs. ---------- Post added 09-12-2014 at 16:34 ---------- so the eu has proposed an idea that needs all member states to participate for it to work (which they wont) so its a non starter then btw I agree with you that Georgie will claim it as a uk victory :hihi: I thought the EU could just force stuff on member states tho?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosxuk Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I thought the EU could just force stuff on member states tho?? Only in UKIP's world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot As Sun Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Only in UKIP's world. Never heard of qualified majority voting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosxuk Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Never heard of qualified majority voting? Has nothing to do with enacting laws in member countries Smithy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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